June 18, 2009

Why I love Tmobile - it’s customer service!

I’ve been a Tmobile customer for about 6 years. While many of us complain about phone providers, I’m pretty satisfied with Tmobile (even more so now) and I thought I should write about what’s good.

As some of you know, I had an extreme dislike of my Blackberry. That device didn’t work for me at all and I hated that I had to hack and alter my routines to suit Blackberry technology. Additionally, my heart was set on a Nokia. The Nokia E75, in fact. So in preparation for my new purchase I called Tmobile to ensure that the Nokia would be fully functional on their network. In doing so, I was prompted by their latest promotion for a “Mobile Makeover.” Goodness, how could I refuse? I like saving money.

Customer service was exceptional on Tmobile’s part. My first representative, Kathy, saved me $70/month. That’s quite a “mobile makeover’, I must say. She offered me a variety of suggestions to help me reduce my bill and she answered the questions I had regarding the new phone despite the fact that Tmobile doesn’t carry the E75. Kathy was helpful, professional, knowledgeable and fun. I wasn’t quite ready to switch over my plan during that first phone call because I still needed to purchase the phone. I returned a call to them two days later when I received the phone to take care of the details.

I will say the only gripe I have with Tmobile is their selection of phones. I understand that they are promoting their Tmobile Google phone but the alternate selections are poor and in some cases just down right weird and outdated. Not everyone wants a Google phone. No matter, I can purchase what I desire from Amazon or Nokia, I just don’t quite understand why Tmobile wouldn’t offer richer alternatives that would cause me to spend my money with them instead. (I was once told that it is because they make very little money off of their product line but does this mean that the product line should suck?)

When I called 2 days later to set up my phone and service the second representative I spoke with, Sheryl, was equally lovely and helpful. She also provided several good suggestions. We were able to set up my Nokia E75 in a matter of minutes. After 6 years, I can say that I’ve always enjoyed excellent customer service. I speak with actual people when I call for support. They are always friendly and helpful. My network is rarely problematic.

I am especially sensitive to good and bad support services and as a business owner it is one of my priorities to provide excellent customer support to my clients. It is what sets successful businesses apart and in today’s harsh environment, we have to start reaching back to those forgotten details that offer added value and exceptional service to our clients.

The reason I couldn’t get along with my Blackberry was because it was inflexible to the way I needed to do business. My Nokia E75 works the way I do and it’s a gorgeous sexy phone to boot. If we apply this metaphor to the design and arts industry... in a market with a thousand talented designers, and a thousand exceptional artists, it is going to be the relationship between client and provider that will determine who and what is most successful. In an environment where customer respect and honestly went by the wayside it’s now time to rethink the way we get things done, the value of what we are providing and how we nurture our relationships. It’s time to reinvent the problem areas where we fall short and strengthen the assets we have already established. It’s something I’m working on. How about you?

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